And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
So for me personally, I was hesitant to check this show out because it was called rainbow and the synopsis was about the lives of 7 guys together. Being a heterosexual male, it is justified that I was hesitant because overdose of bromance can really make me feel uncomfortable. But the overall theme of friendship never dies is something that I can relate with and I thought to myself "f-ck it."
The story starts out strong with the introduction of our characters and getting right into how these prison men are abused and looked down upon. Note that this is a historical show, meaning we are given the time period of the setting and things are handled in a way that relates to that time period. The story is really done well in the first half, we are shown explicit and mature content such as how people treated each other in prison and how abuse from the higher status is very corrupt. Preferably do not go into the show thinking its all blood and violence, but it brings out some really realistic themes that our characters had to use to keep on living. That helped drive the development of some characters and the show itself was really rich with ideas and made it very enjoyable to watch.
I had problems with the second half of the show though, because there does not seem to be an overlying goal that needed to be reached. The first half did well because all the main characters are have a set goal and we get to see the process of achieving that goal while breaking barriers to do so. 2nd half seemed to bounce around a lot and I started to lose sympathy with some characters because interactions were force fed. The story really shined with the handling of the contemporary issues that were brought up. From things like rape, violence, corruption, to poverty and oppression; these things were handled with care and had me at the edge of my seat anticipating the resolution of these issues. Rainbow did a great job with the story.
The show right from the get go, introduces us to a boatload of characters, the 7 prison boys, the 2 one dimensional antagonists, and others that affect our main characters psychologically. There is Sakuragi, who everyone looks up to like a fatherly figure. He's already been in the prison for a year when our other protagonists arrive, making him the most experienced and his personality is developed through what he went through. I thought his change of personality after meeting our other 6 characters was forced and throughout the show felt like a plot device. Mentioning him was enough to drive the characters and it didn't seem like there was too good of a reason for it to be like that except for Mario. Moving on to Mario, he feels like a replica because he gets meaning in his life for watching his friends succeed. We only get to see him develop in the latter half of the show and it still felt like he wasn't important.
As for Soldier and Cabbage - underdeveloped and only pushed the plot. Not that it was a bad thing but they are those strong willed people that is always nice to have your back. Couldn't get attached to them because of how little development they got. As for Uncovered, Joe, and turtle, these guys feel like the main lead of the show. We get to see these 3 go through some really, and i mean REALLY, f-cked up stuff in their past and its no wonder they act the way they do. But it's really good when they have to battle their own desires in order to save a friend fighting their own struggle with their past. These 3 I felt lead the show and gave me a fresh insight into how young adults can handle their distress. As for these characters as a whole, the theme of friendship is handled beautifully. The antagonists like I mentioned were 1 dimensional, their corrupted, and they wanna abuse guys because their messed up. As for side characters, Lily was decently developed and was a really likable character. Her role was very appropriate, being that at this time, Americans oppressed the Japs and she brought that theme to the table. As for Setsuko, meh. She was just apart of the plot.
Sound - a great opening. Song fits perfectly and animation for it was good; didnt skip it once. ED is pretty good too. The soundtrack sounded contemporary, but it was really excellent. Those scenes that had me at the edge of my seat? The music almost made me fall out of it because it really brought out the tension and the mood of each scene. As you should know by now, this is an explicit show and the music really does fit well with whatever f'd up thing is going on. Some tracks really brought out the emotion of certain scenes, and it will resonate with you as you watch and listen. A+ soundtrack.
Animation is realistic, these guys actually look like human beings. The gore is very graphic so if you have a weak stomach, I recommend not eating while you watch the show. Very detailed cuts and good scenery.
Final verdict: a really enjoyable show for those who can handle all the mature content thrown at you. The show is like a documentary but not boring. The 2nd half of the show may bore you if you enjoyed the first half because it isn't as goal oriented, but it does have really strong tension. Some characters could have been better characterized and developed, but with the big cast, its understandable if they couldn't flesh everything out. They all contributed to the telling of a great story. If you are reading this prior to watching it, get your emotions prepared, they will go on a rollercoaster.
